Falling Down
by SIDELINE311
Summary: After the murder of a family and the attack of one of their own the team must come together to find a killer. GSR. FINISHED
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

SPECIAL THANKS to Viki for all the help. I couldn't have done this without you!!!!!!

Falling Down

Chapter 1

Sara liked working the graveyard. She enjoyed driving to work or to a scene and looking at the streets. Living in Vegas the streets all shared this ghostly glow. Sitting in the passenger sit of Grissom's Denali gave her the perfect opportunity to look at the streets. She glanced over at the man driving. Gil Grissom. She loved that man. She needed to tell him. Or did he already know? He seemed to know everything else she was thinking. He knew her inside and out and she knew him. She understood him like no one else could.

Sara watched as Grissom guided the Denali in front of a two-story cookie-cutter house. They drove together from her apartment were they had been together since yesterday morning when they got off shift. Grabbing her kit from the backseat, she walked up the long drive towards Brass who was waiting for them at the French double doors of the house.

"Four D.B's; Amy Carter recently married to John Carter. Also dead are Amy's two kids from her previous marriage to a Michael Deveron, Dawn 10, and Samuel 8." Brass read from his notepad.

"COD?" Grissom asked walking through the threshold of the house.

"Looks like they were all stabbed. The wife and husband several times, kids one stab to heart."

"Killer didn't want the kids to suffer." Sara said walking around the empty living room. It was always weird for her to walk around the house of someone who had died. Before their departure people would touch these things, use them everyday and now it almost seemed pointless to have bought them at all. Moving her light over the walls, she looked into the darkened kitchen.

"All the bodies are upstairs. Kids rooms are first two on the left and the couple is last door on right." Brass said clicking on his own light before ascending up the stairs.

Grissom looked at the pictures that lined the walls going up. Sara said it best when she told him "It still amazes me what people will do to each other."

No truer words wherever spoken. He glanced behind him to look at her. She was focused on the pictures. His mind drifted to hours ago when she lay in his arms talking. They talked about everything and about nothing. He really did love her. When they first got together he realized how easily he could have lost her the same way they nearly lost Nick, how he could have missed a chance to tell her how he feels. Now that he had her, he never wanted to miss a chance again. The only question he could ask now was why he hadn't told her yet.

Stopping in front of the first door on the left, he watched Brass push it open. Grissom could make out a tiny body lying under a maroon comforter. Sara stepped passed him entering the room. Brass stayed in the hall shinning his light on the inside of the little girl's room. Sara knelt down next to the short bed and slowly with a gloved hand pulled back the comforter. A little girl's glossy eyes starred at the ceiling. Sara moved her focus to the chest one stab to the girl's heart. Blood covered the child's duck covered pj's, overlapping the old color.

"She didn't struggle, looks like a clean stab." Sara said standing. Looking over at Grissom, he had begun to take pictures of the kid. Sara glanced around. There were no bloodied handprints, no drops on the carpet, they would have to go over with luminal, but as far as she could tell the little girl's room was clean.

"I will finish in here and start on the little boy's room if you want to grab the parents?" Grissom offered her from behind the camera as he lined up another shot. She nodded at his idea.

"Sounds good, do you want me to call for back-up?"

"If we find something overwhelming in the next couple of hours we will call Catherine and Greg in. Nick and Warrick have a B and E off bolder highway and Lakeview."

"Ok, Brass last door on the right?" She asked carrying her kit out the door and into the hall.

"Yeah everything is clear, I am going to step outside, and talk with the neighbors; you kids be good." He said with a sly grin.

Sara watching him walk away before heading down the hall. A headache was slowly forming behind her eyes, she hoped that it wouldn't turn into a migraine; however, if it did she would just steal some of Gil's medicine. Pushing open the last door on the right she caught the smell. Iron. It was strong. The blood that covered the room was substantial to the size of the room. Setting down her kit at the entrance of the bedroom she took out her camera and started her initial walk-through, this was going to take awhile.

Three hours later Sara signed her name on her last evidence envelope. Gathering everything up she walked back down the hall. She noticed that the door to the room she left Grissom in was sealed with tape and the door to the room next to it was open and an eerie glow from Grissom's flashlight could be seen from the hall. Standing in the doorway, she watched him look over a desk in the corner of the room.

"Hey I'm done with the couple's room; I will put these in the truck and be back up." Grissom met her eyes.

"Ok, find anything?" He asked looking back down at the desk.

"Couple of prints and a bloodied shoe print." She said motioning her head to the bags in that filled her hands.

"When you get down there send David up." She nodded at him. Arriving at the porch David was waiting along with an assistant and two gurneys.

"Hey Sara."

"Hey David, you might have to make two trips. My room at the end of the hall is unsealed and ready to go; Grissom is still working on his scenes."

"Thanks Sara." He replied motioning for the young man behind him to follow. Looking to her left Sara saw Brass talking to a younger woman holding a baby. They had very little to go on for a quadruple murder. She could only hope that Grissom had found something solid. If these fingerprints she found didn't pan out then they had nothing.

Opening the back of the Denali, she began to organize the bags.

"Excuse me." Sara turned towards the voice. A man stood behind her. 30-35 years old, clean shaven with dark eyes. "Sir, this is a crime scene if…"

"Is that the evidence you collected?" He asked his eyes getting darker. Sara glanced at the bags behind her before looking at him. She shut one of the doors one handed. Slamming it hard she hoped Brass would hear it and look over.

"What do you know about the people in that house?" She asked him, calculating in her head the risks of reaching for her sidearm.

"What do you know, you have been in there for three hours, make an assessment." The man said his voice filling with venom. Sara's heart began to beat faster. She had to make her move. Counting down from five, she moved at one. Snapping a hand down to her gun, she started to pull but he was on her. Pain traveled from her side. Her skin burned and she felt something wet begin to pour down her side. A noise she had never heard before filled her ears. The air that had filled her lungs was pulled from her. She shivered. Meeting the man's eyes, she saw something. Joy? Satisfaction? Looking down the new noise was matched to him pulling the knife he had driven in her side out. Her skin was tearing as it pulled out. One hand was holding hers at her side near her side arm the other gripped the edge of a black handled knife. Sara's other hand coved the hand holding the knife. She watched as he drew back for another stab when she moved surprising him. Letting go of his hand she drew back and punched him in the face, the unexpected man stumbled back. She fell back into the Denali. Her legs no longer wanting to work she slid down to the ground. The world growing darker as if someone somewhere was dimming the lights before they finally shut off.

"Thank you for your time Ms. Cross." Jim Brass offered a fake smile as he closed his notepad and turned back towards the Carter house. He noticed Sara a minute ago coming out hands full of bags. Looking over at the Denali, he couldn't see any movement. Sara was supposed to be there. He approached from the front. He could tell through the front windshield that both back doors where fully open. Moving around to the driver's side and walked towards the back. Rounding the door, he saw no one standing there. The back was empty. Sara's kit and all the evidence was gone. He looked towards the asphalt to see if anything was on the ground. A shoe was sticking from under the opened back door. He closed the door quickly. Pulling out his mini light from his pocket he jumped into action.

"Sara!" He knelt down next to her. She was laying face up unconscious. He unzipped her forensic vest. Pulling it apart he looked at the damage. Her left side was covered in blood. Some had seeped out into a small puddle on the ground. Taking off his jacket, he pressed it to the tear in her shirt. Dropping his light he pressed fingers to her neck for a pulse. A thump was felt. Removing his fingers, he reached for his radio.

"This is Captain Jim Brass I'm at 810 Maxell off 116th .I need a bus. I have an officer down in need of immediate medical attention, repeat officer down at 810 Maxell." He dropped the radio and looked around. The street was dead. Not a person in sight. He needed help now. He heard dispatch report that a bus was on the way. 3 minutes out. Heavy footsteps came towards him. He looked up watching as Grissom ran across the yard towards him.

"Jim, what… Sara?" Jim had never seen Gil Grissom ever move that fast.

"She's bleeding badly. I don't see any other wounds on her body."

Grissom dropped to his knees next to Sara and looked her over. He had heard Brass's request for a bus and ran outside. He looked over his shoulder at David who had followed along with his assistant, Tucker.

"David, do you have a medical kit in the van?" asked Grissom

"Of course Dr. Grissom." David took off for the morgue van. Returning a few seconds later, he handed the red bag to Grissom, who quickly started to riffle through it. Finding a stack of gauze pads, he ripped the tops off the all at once.

"Move your hands, Jim." Brass followed Grissom's order. Sliding the medical kit towards himself, he grabbed out more gauze and waited. Sirens wailed in the distance.

"You hear that kiddo? Hang on help is almost here." Jim told Sara who had not even attempted to awake or make any movements. Jim looked over at Grissom who was engrossed at his job of pressing down the stack of gauze pads into Sara's side. The ambulance stopped just ahead of them.

"What do we have?" The driver asked.

"She was attacked, I think she was stabbed." Brass said kicking himself for not knowing.

"Did you find her unconscious?" The second medic asked.

"Yeah I called it in a second later."

"What's her name?" The driver medic asked again picking out his pen light from his breast pocket.

"Sara." Grissom answered him on a whisper.

"Sara can you hear me?... Sara?" Grissom watched the man lean over Sara and push up her eyelids shinning a light in each.

"Get an IV started." The driver ordered the other medic about. Grissom watched as they slid a needle into Sara's right forearm and taped it off.

"Sir, you need to step back. Get the stretcher." The driver medic told Grissom before he threw another order to the other medic who ran to comply. Grissom just moved back a little finally releasing his hands from Sara's side. Grissom watched in a haze as they loaded Sara up. Before jumping in the driver's seat, the medic looked at him.

"Are you coming with us sir?" Grissom looked at Brass who gently shoved him towards the ambulance more. Grissom silently stepped up in the back sitting by Sara's legs. He managed to grab one of her hands, being sure to stay out of the other medic's way.

Brass watched the ambulance turn the corner at the end of the street.

"Captain Brass?" Brass turned around to find that along with the ambulance, two patrol cars had arrived.

"Conroy, Wiseman; I want you two to seal off the house. The inside is clear; just seal the doors. No one in until more CSIs arrive." He watched the young officers take off towards the Carter house.

"Henley, Washington; Tape off this SUV no one goes near it. That is our second crime scene. Watch out for the blood spot on the passenger side."

"You got it Captain." Officer Washington replied. Brass waited until they started to work before turning and walking down the street. One hand dialing a number while the other held a flashlight scanning the ground for anything the attacker left behind. He got in luck as he hit send on his phone. Lying on the curb about five feet away was Sara's work badge covered in blood. On the other line of the phone, Catherine picked up.

"Catherine; it's Jim, I have a situation here at Gil and Sara's scene. I need you and the boys to get here…Yeah something bad… No Grissom's fine… It looked like she was stabbed…No we didn't get anyone…" He flipped his phone closed shinning his light down the street a ways hoping to catch something. There was no way he was going to let himself off this one. Sara had gotten hurt because of him.

"I'm sorry kiddo." He spoke looking down at the bloodied badge.

That was one phone call Catherine never expected to receive. She quickly left Grissom's office walking towards the break room. She was using his office to work on backed-up paper work. Nick and Warrick had wrapped up their B and E only an hour ago and were in the break room with Greg waiting for another case.

"Guys, Brass called. We have a priority case." She noticed three sets of eyes looking at her. She knew that they could tell she was worried.

"Cath what happened?" Warrick asked

"An attack at Grissom and Sara's scene, Brass called it in."

"Are they ok?" Nick asked as images of Sara and Grissom lying in blood ran through his head.

"Sara is on her way to the hospital, Brass said it looked like she had been stabbed."

"Looked like? He didn't see it?" Greg wondered while "_This can't be happening_," Ran through his head.

"That's what we are going to find out Greggo, let's go." The boys followed Catherine out to her company issued Denali. Turning the key to start the engine, "_I should have been nicer to Sara_."

The ride to the scene was filled with small talk mostly about Sara. A couple of times it was about how Grissom was going to deal with Sara being injured. Catherine pulled up to the Carter house parking near the tape that surrounding Grissom's Denali. She turned off the car and took her kit from Warrick who was riding shotgun. She approached Jim who was standing by the driver side of the SUV in the street.

"Jim, what happened?" She asked following his gaze to the blood spot on the ground.

"Is that from…?" Warrick didn't have to finish his question.

"Sara, I found her lying here, I called for a bus. I didn't hear anything or see anyone. Her kit and the evidence she had gathered is all gone. Her attacker must have taken everything. I found her badge down the street covered, in blood." Brass finished giving them his information.

"Ok, thanks Jim we will take it from here. Nick I want you and Greg to work on the house. Finish the scene. Retake all of Sara's evidence, since no one has been in there nothing should be compromised."

"You got it Cath. Come on, Greggo." Nick said patting Greg on the back.

"Warrick I want you to start at Sara's badge and work down towards the end of the block look for anything, I will start with the Denali." Warrick simply nodded at her before moving down the street. Catherine approached the blood spot. She pulled out her camera. She took several pictures before she opened her kit and swabbed the pool. Moving towards the doors of the Denali, she printed them. It was a company issue so the only prints on it should be Grissom and Sara. Looking over the back, she didn't see anything. She carefully scanned the ground. Finding a couple of blood drops, she captured everything on film and took samples.

"Find anything good?" Warrick asked approaching her.

"Blood and fingerprints I won't know anything until they all come back. What about you?"

"Sara's badge that Brass found, that's it."

"You didn't find any of Sara's evidence that she collected?"

"No, I even checked the sewer drains on each side."

"Ok, I am going to head over to the hospital and get any physical evidence off Sara and get her clothes. I will have them brought over to the lab."

"I'll take everything back with me and I will grab Brass's shirt and Jacket. It has Sara's blood on it." He said putting a hand on her shoulder. She nodded at his understanding of the things they didn't have to say.

Grissom glared around the waiting room. It felt empty even though it was filled with people. Grissom took a corner seat by the door. He looked down in at his hands. The nurse let him clean up in their personal sink. In his left hand, he had Sara's cell phone. They took off her belt before they took her in to surgery. He briefly wondered about Sara's gun and her other belongings. He didn't even check to see if they were at the scene.

He knew that this was a waiting game. Waiting for Sara that's ironic compared to Sara and his past relationship. They were finally together after years of Sara waiting for him to realize what she has known all along. He loved her. He would wait in that room forever for her.

It didn't take forever. Catherine arrived in the first hour, sitting next to him without a word. Grissom noticed her kit lying at her feet. Three hours later, a doctor approached.

"Are you Gil Grissom?"

"I am." Grissom said standing up and wiping his hands on his jeans. He could still fell Sara's blood covering them.

"Hi I am Dr. Henson. I completed Ms. Sidle's surgery."

"Is she ok?" Catherine asked.

"She is going to be fine. She will be drugged for the next 6 hours and the risk of infection is high but we put her on an anti-biotic."

"How bad was it?" Grissom asked. He needed to know.

"She was stabbed in the left side the knife pushed between the 6th and 7th rib through the costal cartilage and pierced the spleen. We removed it to stop the bleeding. I know it sounds bad, however, she is stable and resting comfortably."

"Can we see her?" Catherine asked when she noticed all Grissom was doing was nodding.

"Of course; room 113, across from the nurse's station, if there is any trouble or questions, just tell a nurse to page me." The doctor left making notes on the clipboard he held in his hands.

Catherine picked up her kit and followed Grissom down the hall towards the nurse's station. She read the numbers on the plaque next to each door. 115…114…113. She didn't know what to expect when she entered that door. She knew that her goal was to stay with Sara and have Grissom go back to the lab to run the case. He was too close to the case, but the team needed him and so would Sara, once she was released from the hospital.

Grissom pushed open the door slowly. Walking over the threshold, he looked at the single bed. Sara laid there. Propped up on pillows, her hair waved over the top pillow. An IV was attached to her right hand along with a heart monitor. Grissom saw a bag filled with a blood hanging on her left side and a line attached to the inside of her left arm. As he stood next to the bed, he could hear a faint hissing noise below the beeping noise of her monitor. An oxygen tube drew across her face coming up below her nose allowing extra air to help her breath.

He pulled up a chair and went to grab her hand.

"Grissom don't." Catherine said quietly behind him. He turned and gave her a puzzled look, but saw her putting on gloves. He nodded without word and got up. Since entering the hospital and even in the ambulance Sara has been dealt with using latex gloves preserving evidence. Catherine set her kit on the chair Grissom had tried to occupy and opened the top. She quickly took fingernail scrapings from each side and took an oral swab for DNA. Even though the lab already had some, she just needed to be through. Catherine took pictures of Sara's hands. Sara's left hand surprised her with reddening around the knuckles.

"Grissom come take a look at this." She said stepping to a side and holding up Sara's hand.

"Marks on her knuckles, she fought her attacker." Grissom said looking up at Catherine who immediately swabbed the area looking for DNA. Catherine labeled the swap and looked up at Sara.

"Good girl." Catherine then proceeded to pack her kit.

"Thank you Catherine." Grissom said looking at Sara while he did.

"You don't have to thank me Gil, just take this back to the lab." She didn't want to start a fight but she had to say it.

"Cath… I can't leave her." He said sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"Gil, you need to be working on this case. The team needs you. I will stay here with Sara and the moment she starts to wake, I will call you… Look the doctor said that it was going to be at least 6 hours before the drugs wear off so why don't you come back then." She finish, Grissom looked at her reluctantly.

"Sara is going to need you Gil but first you are going to have to find out who did this to her." She watched as he stood and leaned down towards Sara's still form. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand. Catherine watched him whisper something in Sara's ear but couldn't make out what it was. Catherine handed him her kit as he walked out the door.

Clickie Clickie the button and let me know what you think. S.L.


	2. Chapter 2

Falling Down

Chapter 2

Jim Brass stood in front of the Carter house. Dressed in the blue button up he had stored in the trunk of his car, in case of emergencies. Sara's blood had been washed away from his hands and forearms after Warrick had documented it and taken Jim's shirt that he had worn during the incident. He walked back towards his car. He needed to get out of here. He drove towards the station. He needed an update on the evidence; it has been nearly 6 hours since the scene had gone from a simple quadruple murder to a quadruple murder and attempted murder of a CSI. 

"Captain Brass?" A secretary that worked the front of the station approached him.

"Yes?" He asked wearily. 

"Dr. Grissom wanted to see you when you got in."

"At the hospital?"

"No sir, he is at the crime lab. He said that he would be in his office."

"Thank you." Brass said moving towards the crime lab. 

Grissom looked up at him after he had knocked. 

"Gil; is Sara ok?" Brass asked moving into Grissom's office.

"She is out of surgery and into recovery. Catherine is with her. I was told I needed to be here to run both investigations." Brass noticed the irritation in Grissom's voice. 

"Well what do we know so far?" Brass asked.

"The Carter's were stabbed with the same knife. Each kid only one wound, while Mrs. Carter had 14 and Mr. Carter ended up with 19."

"Sounds like overkill." Jim stated, following Grissom as he walked out into the hall.

"We didn't get any DNA from the house except for the family. We did get some several prints from the house not belonging to the family. Three to be exact." Grissom stated as he pulled out a piece of paper from the manila folder he was carrying. He handed the paper over to Jim.

"Do we know who the three people are?" Jim asked hoping to get a suspect.

"One came up to a Michael Deveron. He works for the post office. The other print came up empty, however, it did match a print we pulled off the back door of the Denali." Grissom said placing one hand coolly in his pocket. 

"And the third?" Jim asked.

"Greg is still running it." Grissom told him looking down at the papers in his hand.

"So the ex-husband gets someone with him to kill off the old family and they attack Sara to get what? Her evidence? Maybe Sara collected something that could ID this mystery man and prove the ex-husband did it?" Brass questioned.

"I don't care for why. I just want the who." Grissom said firmly.

"I will get the ex-husband and bring him in rain, sleet, or snow." Brass said mocking Michael Deveron's job.

Grissom walked back towards his office. Looking over the layout of the case he had on his desk, he tried to get this to make sense. What was the ex-husbands motive for murder? Did he hide the knife or bring one with him? Who was this mystery person? His mind kept drifting to Sara. He really wanted to see her. Pulling out his cell, he pressed in Catherine's number in. 

"Catherine it's me…how is she?...ok just let me know when she awakes…so far nothing… we are looking into the ex-husband…ok." He flipped the phone closed. Sara was still asleep resting peacefully are the words that Catherine had used. 

"Grissom I got something you might want to look at." Greg said sticking his head into Grissom's office. 

Pocketing his phone, he followed Greg down the hall to the print lab. 

"Nick and I re-collected the evidence from the husband and wife's room We gathered 7 prints now 4 of those belong to the each member of the family. The fifth we matched to the ex-husband."

"Brass is picking him up now. Did you get a match on the other two prints?" Grissom asked.

"One is still unknown. The final print was a match to Norma Meza."

"Norma Meza?" Grissom asks.

"Yeah I pulled up some information on her. She was printed for a government job." Greg said pulling up a page on the computer. 

"Norma Meza works the Thomas-Thomas law firm. What's her connection to the Carters?" Grissom asked as he read off the computer of the listed information on Norma Meza. 

"I haven't found it yet. Nick left a minute ago with Warrick to find out. They said they would call if they found anything out." Greg offered.

"What do we know about the unknown?" Grissom asked picking up a copy of the print.

"It was found on several items in the bedroom and Warrick found matches to it on the backdoor of the Denali." Greg said showing Grissom a picture of the door.

"The unknown probably attacked Sara." Grissom said setting down a picture of Sara's pool of blood by the Denali.

"Look's like it. By the way, how is Sara?" Greg asked shuffling papers around the desk.

"She is going to be fine, Greg, good work." Grissom said walking out of the lab, as he did his pager went off. Looking down at the tiny box attached to his hip, he saw that it read: _got him. see you in 5. JB _

"I'm going to the hospital in the morning after shift." Nick said as he exited the passenger seat of the Denali. 

"I'm down with that, any body tell you how she's doing?" Warrick asked as he walked next to Nick.

"Catherine texted me about an hour ago and said that Sara was resting." Nick finished pulling open a door to the business that they stopped in front of.

A small man in a suit was seated behind the front desk. Three rooms sat angled face to the front door. 

"Hello welcome to Thomas and Thomas what can I do for you gentlemen today?"

"We are with the crime lab. We need to speak with Norma Meza." 

"Ok, just a second." The man got up and walked towards the door closest to his right. Nick and Warrick followed him. Opening the door, they saw a woman sitting behind a desk.

"Uh Ms. Meza there are people here from the crime lab…" He trailed off as he realized that Nick and Warrick had followed him. He stepped out of the doorway.

"Norma Meza, I'm Nick Stokes and this is Warrick Brown. We are with the Las Vegas crime lab. We're investigating a quadruple homicide and attempted murder of a CSI. Do you mind if we asked you a couple of questions?" Nick finished as the man who had shown them in shut the door as he left. 

"Come in, what do you need to know?" The woman stood and gestured to two seats sitting in front of her desk. Warrick studied the woman before sitting down. She was short with black hair pulled up in a bun piled on top of her head. She wore a gray suit top and a grey skirt.

"Do you know a Mr. John Carter?" Nick asked looking around her office quickly.

"Yes, I do he was injured on the job about 6 months ago and came to me for advice." Norma said compliantly.

"He was going to sue his employer?" Nick asked. 

"No, they were giving him a hard time about getting a limited disability pay check. He came to me for advice on what should he do if they continued not to cooperate."

"I'm guessing that they did?" Warrick asked.

"Yes once they found out that he consulted a lawyer they complied. I last heard that he was back at work. Has something happened to him?" Both Nick and Warrick noticed the hitch in her voice.

"John Carter was found dead earlier this morning along with his wife and two step kids." Nick said watching Norma's reaction. He watched tears instantly form in her eyes.

"Oh my God! They're all dead, his kids as well?"

"Yes, we came to you because we found your fingerprints in the house but mostly in the bedroom. Do you want to tell us how they got there?" Warrick asked leaning forward.

Norma pulled out a box of tissues and dabbed her eyes. 

"John and I slept together on several occasions, I met his step-kids." Norma said her voice sounding like it did earlier, in control.

"Did you know he was married?" Nick asked his patience tempering.

"Yes, I did and it wasn't like you are assuming." Norma said sounding defensive.

"Then what it like?" Warrick asked looking over at Nick then back at Norma.

"It was just sex nothing more. We had just finished last week and I was about to leave when his kids came home earlier. He told them that I was helping him with his work stuff." Norma said officially.

"When is the last time you saw Mr. Carter?" Nick asked flipping open a pocket on his vest and pulling out a swab.

"About three days ago, we met for lunch and did our business in the back of his car." Norma said eyeing Nick as he approached her.

"We can get a warrant, but we would like if you would offer your DNA freely." Warrick said standing.

"You don't have enough for a warrant, however, since I didn't kill John, or his family…" She opened her mouth for Nick to swab.

"I hope that you do find out who did." She said looking between them.

"What do you think?" Nick asked Warrick as they walked back to the Denali.

"I think that John Carter isn't the first client that she slept with, and he won't be the last." He said starting the Denali.

"Yeah, the only thing she is guilty of is adultery." Nick said clicking his seat belt on. 

Catherine checked her watch again. Sara had been out of it for 9 hours. The Doctor said she would be out of the anesthesia in 6. Now it seemed she was just resting. Catherine had texted the guys and called Grissom giving them updates. She hung up from a call to Lindsey only moments ago. She was surprised to know that Lindsey remembered Sara from Eddie's death. Lindsey said that Sara was nice. Catherine had moved the chair she was sitting in closer to the bed and was currently watching T.V. on mute. 

"Gil?" It sounded weak and raspy. Catherine looked up at Sara whose eyes were squinted open. 

"No sweetie it's Catherine." Catherine said now standing next to Sara's bed. She hand one hand braced on the railing and the other was running over the top of Sara's head in a soothing motion.

"Cath? Wha…" Sara trailed off her eyes dropping closed again.

Catherine's heart broke. Sara's voice was small and weak, which was the complete opposite when she thought what Sara Sidle was. The door to Sara's room opened and a nurse walked in.

"She woke up a second ago, but was right back out." Catherine told her settling back in the chair. The nurse checked Sara's vitals and looked at her IV.

"Did she seem in pain?" The nurse asked unlocking the glass container encasing the buttons on the IV equipment.

"I couldn't really tell, she was really out of it." Catherine said wishing she knew Sara better to tell if she was in pain or not. 

"I will give her a small dosage." The nurse said pressing a few buttons before locking it back up. Walking over to a small dry erase board, she made note of several numbers and letters. Catherine knew it was for medication dosages. 

Studying the sleeping woman, Catherine got thinking that she had never really understood of Sara Sidle. After Sara suspension from work via Ecklie, and her attitude towards her, Catherine really didn't care to understand. It took Gil Grissom to change that. After Grissom said, he took care of Sara's discipline, Catherine could tell the difference in her. She went home on time, didn't argue, she seemed distant to everyone but Grissom. Then after they got Nick back from being buried and he, Warrick and herself moved back to nights. It was really different. Sara was completely different. Her and Grissom seemed to have this secret club. Leaving together, arriving together. They both seemed happy. Catherine didn't know what was going on but she did hope that it would last. 

Reaching over she grabbed one of Sara's hands and lightly squeezed it in hopes of getting a response.

Greg ran a hand through his hair nervously. He was waiting for Grissom and Brass to be done with their interrogation of the ex-husband. Hearing whispers he looked up and spotted Nick and Warrick coming down the hall. 

"Hey Greggo, they found the ex-husband?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, Grissom and Brass are questioning him now. What about Norma Meza?" Greg responded.

"Guilty of sleeping with her clients. Besides, she gave up DNA too easily. We'll still run it but I don't think she could have done this." Warrick said sitting next to Greg. 

"And she is a lawyer. We would have to get something concrete like a picture, or video tape of her committing the crime just to get her in here for questioning." Nick said sitting on the other side of Greg. 

Greg only nodded in response. Looking towards interrogation he wondered were they went from here.

"Mr. Deveron thank you for coming here. Now for the record you have been offered counsel but refused?" Brass asked, adjusting the tape recorder. 

Grissom noticed the cut on Deveron's lip. He cocked his head in curiosity. Flashed of Sara punching him as he attacked her danced in his head. 

"Yes, I have no problem answering your question, Captain, as long as I am out of here in 30 minutes I have to finalize plans for my children's funerals." Michael said sitting straighter in his chair.

"Mr. Deveron, I am sorry for your loss. We won't keep you. What was your relationship like with your ex-wife?" Grissom asked, playing it cool. He didn't want Michael Deveron to get any hints that they were suspicious. 

"Amy and I were civil, because of the kids. We both hated to argue in front of them." Michael told them.

"What about the new husband, John?" Brass asked taking notes.

"We didn't talk. I didn't care for him, but I didn't hate him. He was good to Amy." Michael said calmly.

Grissom noticed that he seemed really calm and his answered sounded rehearsed. 

"Mr. Deveron, do you know anyone who would want to hurt any of them?" Grissom asked watching his reaction.

"My kids definitely not. Amy, no she was a good person, and as for John, couldn't tell you." 

Brass didn't know what to do this guy seemed on the ball.

"Now Michael would you be willing to give us a DNA sample to compare to ones found at the scene?" Brass asked hoping to match it to the DNA they pulled off Sara's hand.

"I volunteered to come here and talk, not give you DNA. Now if you two will excuse me I am due at the mortuary." Michael got up coolly from the table.

"Mr. Deveron one more question. How did you get that cut on your lip?" Grissom asked standing. He watched Michael reach up and touch his lip.

"I bumped into a door." Michael said coldly, and turned out the door.

Walking out into the hall, Grissom was madder than he had been all night.

"Guys, what did you find out about Norma Meza?" Grissom asked Nick and Warrick as he stood in front of them.

"She gave us DNA that we dropped of before coming here, but I don't think that it will be a match to anything prudent." Warrick said.

"Yeah, but she admitted to us about sleeping with Mr. Carter." Nick added.

"What did the ex-husband give us?" Greg asked quickly.

"Answered were well rehearsed. He did have a fat lip, but he didn't give us a DNA sample to test it against the DNA we found on Sara's hand." Brass said tucking his note pad back in his breast pocket. 

"Greg, why don't you run the kids DNA against the sample from Sara's hand. Michael Deveron is their father some of the alleles have to match in relation." Grissom said.

"You got it." Greg said walking away. 

"So were does that leave us?" Nick asked.

"We have mystery prints that are in the house and on the Denali. No murder weapon, no weapon in Sara's attack. And Sara's stuff is still missing..." Warrick started.

"If the husband killed the family, then who attacked Sara?" Brass asked changing from facts to questions.

"The husband could have had an accomplice?" Grissom threw in.

Silence invaded the group. Grissom could see the exhaustion through them.

"Why don't we call it a night. This is not going anywhere. Come back in 8 hours with fresh eyes, besides, I need to go relieve Catherine at the hospital." Grissom said looking at his watch as he spoke.

"Good idea, we'll stop by the hospital before we meet here later." Brass said looking between the three men.

"Yeah give Sar our love and tell her we will see her later." Nick said turning and leaving with Warrick.

"We'll tell Greg to go get some rest too." Warrick said over his shoulder to Grissom who waved in response. 

Don't forget to review... Thanks again to my beta Viki. This wouldn't be possible without her. 


	3. Chapter 3

So here is chapter 3. Thanks for all the reviews.

Falling Down

Chapter 3

Grissom adjusted the strap on the duffle bag he was carrying. He had just got off on Sara's floor at Desert Palms hospital. Walking near her door, he tried to contain his nerves. A steady beeping noise as he entered kept him from rushing to her side. She was resting. She was sitting up more and she didn't look as pale. Catherine was sitting at her side, she looked up as Grissom enter.

"Hey." Catherine greeted him standing up.

"How is she doing Cath?" Grissom asked setting down the duffle bag on the floor.

"She has only woken up a couple times. She's disoriented and confused." Catherine said moving out of the way for Grissom to close in on the bed.

"Thank you, Catherine, for staying here with her." Grissom said to her, not taking his eye's off Sara.

"It's not a problem. What's the update on the case?" She asked gathering up her things.

"Ex-husband is still our main suspect, the new husband was having an affair with a lawyer, and there is still a set of prints that we haven't identified yet." Grissom said glancing up at her.

"When are the guys coming?" Catherine questioned.

"In about 8 hours, before they head back in. I sent them home." Grissom finished quietly. He felt Catherine come up next to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Take care of her Grissom."

"I will. I always will." Grissom said picking up Sara's hand gently.

Grissom sat and watched Sara sleep. He couldn't get the images of her being attacked out of his head. It had replayed in his head since he had seen the ambulance bringing her here. Someone attacking her, stabbing her. When he shut his eyes he could see they life drain out of her eyes as she lay there, bleeding on the street.

Brass leaned back in his chair. Looking around his living room, he was suddenly glad that he had cleaned yesterday. Hey, someone had to do it. Lifting his hand, he looked at his watch. He was to meet up with everyone at the hospital in a little over 6 and a half hours. He closed his eyes to rest when his phone began to ring.

"Brass…yeah…pawn shop off of Kenton…got it, thanks." He hung up. This should be good. Opening his phone, he paused before dialing Grissom's number and opted for Catherine.

"Catherine meet me at RJ's Pawn Shop off Kenton. I will explain when you get there." He hung up after she said goodbye. Grabbing his keys, badge, and gun, he was out the door.

Kenton was a side street off Tropicana mostly home to mom and pop stores that had been in their prime back when many of the hotels on the strip opened for the first time. Brass had heard of RJ's before. Mostly it was the type of place if you needed to pawn off something without questions you could do it here. So what in the hell were they doing calling the cops? Dispatched has call him and said that the 911 call claimed to be RJ himself saying that he had information for whoever was in charge of the assault of the CSI. Brass knew the information about Sara was already on the news, but what did that have to do with a sleazy shop owner and his store?

When Brass pulled up front, Catherine was already there. She was leaning against the front of her Denali, looking around.

"So are you going to tell me what this is about?" She asked, pulling up her sunglasses to sit on top of her head.

"911 call came in, the owner, RJ, called and says he has information on the attempted murder of the CSI he saw on the news."

"Politics. Hours after Sara is stabbed and left for dead, Our own LVPD sheriff gets on the T.V and riles up the circus. So now instead of using real evidence and clues to find this guy we are going to end up wasting our time listening to the peanut gallery."

"Tell me how you really feel, Catherine.." He noticed Catherine giving him a look, he held his hands up in defeat.

"I know, but this has to be done." Brass said opening the door to the business for Catherine.

They stood in the entranceway, looking straight at a glass counter. Brass looked around at the stuff that filled the walls and shelves.

"You know I never understood places like this. It's like one huge garage sale all the time." Catherine said looking at a worn coffee table that was covered with an even more worn-looking lamp.

"Well, at these garage sales you can buy your stuff back…sometimes." Brass said approaching the counter. He looked around for an employee, and when he didn't see one, he rang the tiny bell that sat on the counter.

Brass took in the details of the man coming out of the back. Black male around 35, bald. He was dressed like a cowboy. Blue jeans, white button up, and a black cowboy hat. Jim briefly saw black cowboy boots when the man first stepped out of the back room.

"Hey there cowboy Troy, we need to talk to RJ." Brass said with a grin, flashing his badge.

"I'm RJ."

Catherine looked between him and Brass.

"Right. Look, you called 911 about the news report of the attempted murder of a CSI."

"Yes, I did." RJ leaned down. Brass moved his hand to his gun but relaxed when RJ laid a case on the counter.

Catherine reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves snapping them on, she picked up the case by it's handles and looked underneath.

"I can't be sure until I run the serial code on the bottom, but this looks like Sara's kit." She said laying it back down and opening it up. It was empty. Letting out a frustrated breath, she closed it. It was then she noticed a blood drop on the top near the handle.

"RJ, who pawned this?" Brass asked looking over at the kit.

"I don't know! One of my dumb-ass employees gave some guy 60 bucks for it. I came in an hour after and saw it sitting on the ground. I was looking over it when I saw the Police serial bar on the underside and I found this sitting in the bottom." RJ pulled out a business card and laid it on the glass. Catherine and Brass both leaned over the counter to read it.

"This is one of Sara's cards." Catherine said looking over it. "Everyone in the department are issued them. You give them out to families and officers for contact. It has Sara's name, title, number to the lab, and her cell."

"Do you keep surveillance?" Brass asked, looking around for a security camera.

RJ leaned down again, this time Brass didn't go for his gun. RJ placed a DVD in a case on the counter, along with a sheet of paper.

"Already pulled the tape. You can't see much. And that's a paper is the receipt for the case." RJ said looking at both of them.

Brass picked up the receipt and look at it. Scribbles were in the places were usually relevant information should be written.

"RJ, I am going to need a DNA sample and finger prints from you and the employee who touched this." Catherine said reaching into her vest pockets and pulling out several swabs and several fingerprint pads.

"I am giving you the case, I called 911. I didn't have anything to do with this, why do you need my DNA and fingerprints?" RJ growled.

"Easy there cowboy, we just need them to eliminate them from the case so we can find out who else has touched the case." Brass said.

RJ leaned over the counter and opened his mouth. Catherine swabbed him. Labeling the box, she put it in. She pulled the white back off the fingerprint pad.

"Ok push your pinkie, ring, middle, and pointer fingers here." She said holding out the sticky side. RJ pushed and pulled up. Catherine labeled the back and pulled out another.

"Thumb this time." She said repeating the process. The fingerprint pads were normally used to take fingerprints after the print dust had made them visible on objects. Catherine was just improvising.

"Where is the employee who took the case?" Brass asked wanting to finish quickly

"Gary, get up here!" RJ bellowed crossing his arms in front of him.

Catherine watched a boy, probably 17-18 years old, walk up to the counter from one of the far aisles.

"Gary, this lady wants fingerprints and DNA give it to her, and then explain to the cop here why your dumb ass took that case."

Catherine started taking Gary's prints while he explained.

"Look the guy was freakin' me out. He wanted 100 bucks, but I told him no way it was just a case. Then he dropped down to 60, one of my bros came in and the guy was creepin' me out. I just wanted him to leave, so I gave him 60 and the slip to fill out. He did it fast and took off with the money." Gary said. Catherine could hear his voice wavering. She held up a swab. He opened his mouth.

"What did this creepy guy look like?" Brass asked trying not to get frustrated with the teen.

"I don't know, just a guy."

"Was he tall, short, white, black, what was he wearing?" Brass asked trying to get the kid to give up more information.

"He was a white guy, about RJ's height. He had a Notre Dame hat on and sunglasses. He was weird."

"Weird how?" Catherine asked him.

"I mean he was wearing gloves, a hooded jacket, and pants."

"And…" Brass said waiting for the problem to come up.

"It was about 85 degrees yesterday and about 75 in here. The guy wasn't sweating at all. I'm up here soaked cause of this heat and he's dressed like a freakin Eskimo. Weird." Gary said looking between the three adults.

"Can I go now?" He asked his boss. RJ nodded, and Gary made a b-line for the back room.

"I wish I could help you folks more." RJ stated.

"No, this is a big help. Thank you." Catherine said gathering up her things and grabbing Sara's case, she followed Brass out.

"Doesn't sweat huh?" Brass asked.

"I don't know. I will take the case back to the lab and get started."

"Alright. See you at the hospital in while." Brass said getting into his car.

Grissom let out a slow breath as he settled into the uncomfortable hospital chair. Sara was still resting, which according to the doctor was a good thing. One of his hands held hers. His other was sitting on his lap. He was leaning back when he felt a tiny bit of pressure surrounding the hand that held Sara's hand.

"Sara?" He had softly leaning forward. He heard her let out a deep breath.

"Gris…" Her voice was a whisper and sounded groggy.

"Yeah honey it's me. How are you feeling?" He asked returning another small squeeze to her hand.

"Tired…my…body. hurts." She took a breath after each whispered word.

"I bet you have been through a lot. Do you remember what happened?" He asked her.

"The Carter's residence…A man… by the..Denali." She managed to get more words in.

"Yeah, you were attacked. Brass found you."

"Get him?" She questioned her eyes closing. Grissom knew she was fading again.

"No, not yet but we will." He said watching her head nod at him and her eyes finally drift shut.

"Sara, Sara I don't know if you can hear me but I needed to tell you this… I… I love you." Grissom told her. He had said a thousand times before, he didn't know why this time seemed so difficult.

For the next few hours, Grissom watched as Sara dropped in and out of consciousness. Mumbling incoherently in her sleep and moving around more. She was dreaming. Most likely a nightmare. He knew that she had those a lot. He didn't know if the job got to her more than she was letting on or what, all he could do was hold her when she awoke in their bed screaming.

About half an hour, before the guys were due to show, Grissom's phone began to vibrate his pocket. Looking down at the small screen, he saw that it that read Catherine.

"Hello?...Yes I am still at the hospital…When are you guys….really…I'll be there…" He paused before saying goodbye, suddenly torn between a big lead in the case, and sitting with Sara in case, she awoke. Almost as if someone listened to his thoughts a two nurses came in.

"Excuse me sir, but we have to take Ms. Sidle for some tests." The first and youngest nurse asked.

"How long is that going to take?" Grissom asked holding the phone to his shoulder.

"A couple of hours, the doctor wants to make sure her body is adjust without the removed organ." The older nurse said kindly moving in position to push the bed.

"Catherine, I'll be right there." Grissom hung and moved for the door.

"Could you make sure she gets this bag, it has some of her clothes in it." Grissom said pointing to the duffle bag, he had brought.

"Of course sir." The younger nurse said.

"Oh, I am listed as her contact. When the test are done could you call me and let me know?" Grissom asked moving out of the doorway so they could push Sara down the hall.

"I will leave a note with the nurses station." The younger one concluded.

Nick walked briskly down the halls of the CSI lab. He was on autopilot. He thoughts with Sara. He wanted to be at the hospital right now. Sitting next to her, being there for her like she was for him. But this was a close second. Finding the person who attacked her. He entered the break room, which had been turned into the graveyards lay out room. Day shift needed the real layout for their "big" case.

As he took a seat, Grissom came in and sat at the head of the table. Opening his folder. Nick noticed that he boss looked well lost.

"Alright the scene started out four murders. Then we had an attack on Sara." Grissom began.

"How is Sara?" Warrick asked having not seen her since yesterday's shift.

"The nurses came and took her for some tests when I left, they are going to call when they are done." Grissom said looking up from his paper work to meet Warrick eye to eye.

"Has Sara woken up long enough to say who attacked her?" Greg asked.

"No, she only woke up a couple of times and she was out of it." Grissom said, not wanting to talk about Sara anymore. "Catherine you said you have new evidence."

"Yeah, a pawn shop owner called it in. Someone pawned Sara's kit." Catherine said reaching down by her feet and setting down Sara's silver kit case on the table. It was surrounded by a huge clear bag.

"Any evidence off it?" Nick asked sitting back in his seat.

"Yeah there was a blood drop by the handle. It came back as unknown."

"So who every attacked Sara is or was bleeding?" Greg asked looking around the table for support of his analysis of the evidence.

"Sara had bruising on her knuckles, she hit who ever attacked her." Catherine said.

"So, Sara collects her evidence goes out to the Denali, and someone what? Comes up from behind and stabs her? She turns and hits him, and when the struggle is over, he reaches in the back and grabs Sara's kit and the evidence, his blood dropping from his face to the kit as he picked it up." Warrick suggest running through the scenario in his head like a movie. Images run through everyone's minds trying to figure out what happened.

_Sara collecting evidence. Walking outside. Someone attacking her. Stabbing her from behind. She elbows them. The attacker shoves her down. Takes her stuff and walks away._

Grissom thinks about it for a second, looking down at his crime scene pictures. The picture of the little girl throat slit was on top. This is why they made him the supervisor, because he has to make the hard decisions, even if he didn't want to.

"Look I know that we are all attached to this case. It involves one of our own. But in order to solve that case, we need to solve the one that led to it first." Grissom said spreading out the crime scene photos of the murdered family on the table.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have Amy Carter's sister in the interview room and she is pissed. Ranting and Raving that John Carter is responsible for this." Brass said from the doorway.

"Did you tell her that John Carter is dead?" Catherine asked him. Brass nodded before answering.

"Oh, yeah I did, but she claims that he has had this planned, she wants to talk to whoever is in charge of and I quote "Finding the evidence to prove my no-good brother in-law is the sick son-of-a-bitch who killed my sister."" Brass said looking at Grissom for a response.

Ok, one maybe two chapters left. Don't forget to review.


	4. Chapter 4

Falling Down

Falling Down

Chapter 4

"Amy found out that John was sleeping with that slut-attorney that he was going to help with his disability." Ashley Bowman said sitting back in her chair.

Grissom looked at the woman. She was a younger version of Amy Carter. Same hair and facial structure.

"Now Ashley, why do you think John, who is dead, would kill Amy and her kids?" Brass asked skeptically.

"Amy could really pick'em. First that loser Michael, who has problems too. Biological weirdo. But John, now he was calculating. I go over to pick up the kids for the weekend to let John and Amy have a get away, and when I opened the front door, I find John banging that lawyer on the couch. John got startled and the lawyer-bitch took off."

"Did you and John talk about what happened?" Grissom asked wanting to get somewhere and fast.

"Yeah, he tried to make all of these excuses and I wasn't having it. I told him that he was done with my sister. That's when he said it."

"Said what?" Brass asked.

"Amy is never going to be done with me, we are together through death." Ashley said looking between the two men.

"That's it?" Brass asked.

"Yes, he was really weird after that. He kept a close eye on Amy after that. She was such an idiot to stay with him…wait you don't believe me do you?"

"John Carter was stabbed to death along with Amy. I am sorry for your loss, however, it is just impossible for someone to stab themselves that many times." Grissom said watching as Ashley hung her head in defeat.

"Can you at least look into the lawyer, Norma Meza? If you want to cover up a crime; hire a lawyer."

Brass pretended to write the name down to give the woman some hope.

"Thank you for coming down. We will find out who killed you sister and her kids." Brass said holding open the door for her. After she walked out Brass shut the door and sat back down this time in the seat Ashley had been occupying.

"Well?" He asked the man across the table.

"Following the evidence you could theorize that the lawyer and Mr. Carter planned on killing the family however the lawyer killed John too." Grissom said. Brass noticed the look he got on his face.

"What about the rest of the evidence…what is it?" He asked as Grissom got up

"Biological weirdo?" Grissom mumbled as he fled out the door. Jim followed

Grissom caught up with Ashley Bowman at the front desk of the police station.

"Ashley, you said Michael was a biological weirdo, what did you mean?" Grissom asked remembering glancing at the report for the unknown DNA from Sara's kit.

"He had some condition he didn't sweat…" Ashley started before Brass jumped in.

"Wait didn't sweat?"

"Yeah, Amy said he developed that spots a couple of times on his skin but that they would go away and he wouldn't sweat. It could be a million degrees outside and he is in a jacket. It put him in the hospital a couple of times due to dehydration." Ashley finished.

Grissom nodded at her and looked over at Brass.

"Thank you again, Ashley." Grissom said moving away with Brass in tow.

"That pawn shop kid said that the guy who pawned Sara's kit was wearing a coat, hat, and gloves. But he wasn't sweating, not a drop."

"The DNA sample that we pulled off the kit had some protein deficiencies."

"Meaning?" Brass asked.

"I thought that it could be anything. Now I think that it means something."

"Well it's now enough to get the ex-husband back in here for a DNA sample and questioning." Brass said pulling out his phone.

"Maybe we should fingerprint him first…" Grissom said stopping in the hall.

"We already fingerprinted him." Brass said.

"When you bring him in. Hold him until I get there." Grissom said starting off down the hall.

"You got it." Brass said satisfactory.

Grissom made it back to the lab in record time. Opening his laptop, he opened the web browser. He knew that he had found something.

He had found the article in less than a couple of seconds. He looked up when someone knocked on his door.

"Hey Grissom, that DNA comparison from the case that you wanted me to run against Michael Deveron's kids came back." Greg said handing over the sheet to Grissom.

"Seven alleles in common. Thanks Greg." Grissom said grabbing the pages he just printed off his laptop.

"Did we get him?" Greg asked before Grissom could walk out his office door.

"Yeah Greg, we got him." Grissom said.

Grissom coolly walked into the interrogation room to find Michael Deveron sitting this time with a lawyer.

"Mr. Deveron, Dr. Grissom here would just like to ask you a few questions." Brass said opening up the file in front of him.

"Actually I need to get your fingerprints Mr. Deveron." Grissom said pulling out the inkpad he grabbed on the way there. Laying down a blank sheet of paper, Grissom opened the inkpad.

"My client came in here voluntarily for questions; not to get fingerprinted again."

Grissom handed a sheet over to Brass.

"That should be enough to hold him in suspicion and get our evidence." Grissom said waiting for Brass to say the word.

"Works for me. Michael Deveron you are officially under arrest for the murder of Amy and John Carter, your two kids, Dawn and Samuel, and the assault, and attempted murder of Sara Sidle." Brass said reaching in his pocket and pulling out a recorder.

The lawyer had taken the paper that Grissom had handed to Brass.

"Is this all you have a DNA sample that isn't even from my client." The lawyer stated taken back.

"We don't know if it is from him or not. Mr. Deveron place hand in the ink and give Dr. Grissom here your prints." Brass said pointing to the blank sheet of paper.

Michael sighed and looked to his lawyer who nodded. Michael moved his right hand towards the pad. Grissom grabbed his hand.

"I already have that one. I need your other hand." Grissom said watching for a reaction from Michael and he got one. Michael's posture went from control to sneering at Grissom. Michael placed his left hand on the inkpad and then pressed it on the paper.

Grissom lifted the paper off the table and pulled out another one from the stack he was carrying.

"This one is from the house and it was found on the door's of the CSI Sidle's Denali." Grissom said holding up the one that he pulled out of the file. He then held up the one that Michael Deveron just gave.

"Well Mr. Grissom, I don't see anything."

"Exactly. Which leads me to Naegeli syndrome." Grissom said looking at Michael Deveron who leaned back and crossed his arms smiling.

"What is Naegeli syndrome?" The lawyer asked partially looking over to his client for answers.

"According to the copy of this American Journal of Genetics, it is a defect in a protein known as Keratin 14. It induces the body to mark cells in upper layers for death. The person can have excess skin on the hands and feet. The defect also causes the body to perspire abnormally and to cause the lines in the finger pads to be under developed or non-existent." Grissom said laying down a the paper he copied off line.

Grissom took the silence in the room and ran with it.

"The DNA we got from CSI Sidle's hand and from the blood drop you left on her kit is going to match you. These finger prints can prove you were in the house and that you attacked CSI Sidle." Grissom said.

"You see Michael, we have a theory and stop me when were wrong. Your ex- wife was pulling for full custody of the kids. You have a poor job that you're trying to get disability from; your ex was using it against you. She had filed several reports of abuse against you in the past, which were going to be shown in court. So with the thoughts of losing your kids to another man and your ex, you lost it. You walked into the house. Stabbed your ex and her new husband in a rage and then when you realized that your kids had seen, you got them back to bed and slit their throats." Brass said waiting for the final wall of Michael Deveron's defenses to collapse.

"I…" Michael started.

"Don't say a word Michael. My client admitting to you the first time he was here that he was in the house, that how his fingerprints are there. Do you have a murder weapon or bloodied clothes from my client?"

"We are executing a search warrant of your house now, Mr. Deveron." Brass said.

"Well until you have something to pin these horrible crime of the murder of four people, I am afraid that all you can hold my client for is assault of CSI Sidle." The attorney said satisfied that he did what he was hired to do.

Grissom watched Michael sit back in his chair a smile breaking out on his face.

"I am pushing the DA for attempted murder." Brass challenged.

"You can't prove that. Do you have a knife? All you have is DNA on CSI Sidle's knuckles." The attorney said tossing down the sheet of information.

"It shows that she was attacked." Grissom said trying to control his anger.

"I am afraid not Mr. Grissom all it shows is that Ms. Sidle punched my client. In fact… Michael is sounds like the CSI attacked you. You are the one with wounds."

Brass was fuming. What in the hell was going on their slam dunk case was going down the drain.

"If that is all, gentlemen, we should get going." The attorney said packing up his papers.

"One more thing Mr. Deveron. A DNA sample." Grissom said standing. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a swab. Michael leaned over the table and opened his mouth.

"Don't go far or make any plans. I am going to run this against the DNA on the kit and when it comes back to you, we are going to talk again." Grissom said watching Michael and his attorney walk out the door.

"That did not go well." Brass said standing.

"I will go put a rush on this in the lab and we can only hope that the guys got something in the search warrant." Grissom said.

"That Nig-syndrome stuff is that true, can someone really have no fingerprints?" Brass asked.

"There is a reported case of one person for every 2-4 million people." Grissom said as he left.

It was several minutes later he was sitting behind his desk looking at his phone. The hospital hasn't called yet. Michael Deveron's attorney just tore apart everything. Looking over everything again. A good attorney would tear it apart. He didn't really have any evidence against Michael.

"Grissom." Nick called from the doorway. Grissom waved him in.

"We found nothing at the apartment. Or his car. This guy is clean." Nick said sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Grissom's desk. Warrick had entered behind him and was occupying the other chair.

"How did it go with the interrogation?" Warrick asked.

"Not good. Deveron's attorney tore everything apart. I did get DNA from him. They are running it now. We can at least nail him for what he did to Sara, but unless we find the knife or bloodied clothes we can't charge him for the four murders." Grissom said removing his glasses.

"What about Sara? Can't she make a positive ID on this guy, I mean we can get him locked away for a while for that?" Nick said looking at Warrick for back up.

"Even nailing him for Sara, it just seems unjust to the other victims in this whole ordeal." Warrick said.

Grissom's phone began to vibrate on his hip. Unhooking it, he looked at the screen.

"Grissom…yes…she is?...ok I will be right there." Grissom quickly hung up.

"What is it?" Warrick asked standing with him.

"Sara back from her test and the nurses says she awake and alert." Grissom said moving out the door. Nick and Warrick watched him leave looking between each other. They both jumped a little when Grissom came back in.

"Grab everyone including Brass and meet me there, Catherine knows the room number." Grissom ordered turning and leaving again.

She felt like she had been stuck in a fog for days. According to the nurses, she had been in and out of it for several days. The trauma and loss of blood accounted for that. She awoke several minutes ago in the middle an x-ray of her chest.

Sara felt her stitches in her pull as she shifted in the bed. She remembered everything that happened. She was waiting for Grissom to get here so she could tell him what she saw. Hoping that maybe they already had the guy. Sticking with the thoughts of Grissom, she partially wondered were he was. She remembered waking up twice. Once Catherine was here and the second time Grissom was. She hoped that he wasn't blaming himself for what had happened to her.

"Hey." She turned towards the voice standing in the doorway.

"Hi." She replied laying her head back on the pillow as Grissom approached her bed.

"It's good to see you awake." He said reaching out, grabbing her hand. She squeezed his but paused and looked behind him.

"The others?" She asked wondering how much time they could act affectionate without being caught.

"Be here in five, Brass is coming too. He wants you to ID the guy who did this." Grissom said looking her up and down once.

"What about the quadruple murder?"

"We had a suspect but the defense blew holes at every angle we had."

"The guy that attacked me took my stuff, did you find it?" She wondered.

"We found your kit but everything else is gone. Greg and Nick had to re-collect, do you remember what you collected the first time maybe they missed something?" Grissom asked. Her reply was interrupted when the door opened again and a group of people piled in.

"Sar." Nick's Texas's twang sang out, as he was the first to envelop her in a hug. Grissom quickly let go of her hand and stood back.

"Hey Nicky." Sara said giving a light squeeze back. Greg quietly hugged her next.

"You doing ok girl?" Warrick asked moving in.

"I will be fine 'Rick." She said enveloping him in a friendly hug. She was surprised when Catherine hugged her next.

"I am glad that you are ok." Catherine whispered in her ear before pulling away.

"Me too." Sara said quietly while Catherine was still close. She felt a tug on her foot and looked up at Brass.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear me? This old ticker can't take that." He said with a grin.

"I will try." She replied the hand sporting an IV was raised like she was being sworn in for court.

"Do you remember what happened?" Greg asked first.

"Yeah, I just finished with the bedroom, I told Grissom I would take my evidence down and come back up to help him finish up…I passed Brass talking to the neighbor… I opened the back doors to Grissom's Denali and someone came up from behind me. They asked if I had the evidence from the murders, and then he asked what I thought." Sara paused, shutting her eyes for a second trying to remember it.

"He wanted my evidence…I felt like I had to act first, so I went to pull my gun. That 's when he stabbed me…he was going to a second time but I punched him then I fell back into the Denali hitting the ground. I remember him shoving me to the side and taking off with my stuff." Sara finished looking at Brass for approval.

"You did good kiddo. Do you think you could ID him?" He asked pulling out an index card. It had six picture's on it. Sara knew that some were cops, others were criminals, and only one was the right guy. Sara reached out and took the card from Brass.

She was instantly drawn to the middle picture on the top row. Reaching out she took the red sharpie from Brass and circled the guy, signing her name under her circle followed by the date.

"You sure that's the guy?" Catherine asked standing next to Brass looking at Sara's selection.

"Yeah it's him." She said looking for someone to tell her what was going on.

Everyone was looking at Brass who tucked the card away in his pocket with a nod.

"The guys name is Michael Deveron. He was the ex-husband of Amy Carter." Catherine began.

"There was no evidence to link him to any of the murders or your attack." Warrick said.

"Yeah, Sar especially cause this guy had no fingerprints." Nick added.

Sara listened intently as they laid out both cases. The murders and the attack against her. She held her arm protectively around her side as it throbbed. When she awoke earlier, she remembered the doctor talking to the nurses about adapting to living without it. Living without what? She thought. She hadn't been stabbed in the arms or legs, since those were still attacked. She nodded when Catherine started on the kid at the pawnshop again.

"So since ID him, are you going to hold him for my case?" Sara asked looking to Grissom for answers. He had not said a word since the group showed up.

"Yes, we are going for attempted murder, theft, evidence tampering…" Grissom trialed off.

"The whole nine yards, cookie. We are going to lock him away for awhile, at least until the evidence to prove he killed the Carter's and his kids." Brass said laying his hand on her foot again. She gave him a brief smile. Brass's phone rang.

"Brass…she has? What did she say?...Did she bring you proof…A tape…No I will be there in 10 thanks." Brass hung up the phone and looked to the group.

"Another case?" Greg asked.

"No, the attorney Norma Meza, showed up to the police station a couple of minutes ago with a voice tape of Michael Deveron talking to her about killing his Ex and her new family. The tape skips to a day ago when they talked and he admitted to attacking Sara and he says were he hid the evidence along with the knife used in both crimes." Brass finished tucking his phone away.

"But we never had any connection to Michael Deveron and Norma Meza." Nick said what everyone was thinking.

"Well we do now, this should be interesting." Brass said moving to leave.

"There is going to be more evidence after this to process why don't you guys go with Brass." Grissom said looking over to Catherine for support.

"Grissom's right guys, lets go." Catherine added.

Grissom watched the group say their goodbyes to Sara before moving out the door. Grissom moved back over to her bed and picked up her hand.

"Gil, what's wrong with me?" She asked looking up at him. She saw the quizzed look on his face and tried to explain.

"I heard the doctor's talking about removal of something and living without it. What's wrong?" She asked.

"The knife damaged your spleen. They had to remove it."

"That's not bad though, right? I mean the body can make it without several organs." Sara said starting to justify the issue.

"The doctor's say your going to be fine but it's going to take another week or so in here. Then after that, you will have to wear a medical ID. Either a bracelet or carry a card. Just in case something happens they can't treat you like any other patient." Grissom said looking at her for permission to continue. Leaning down he kissed her forehead. Staying close to her, he continued

"You will have to keep up with all your flu shots and immunizations. Your body won't be able to fight infections as good as the rest of us…It's going to be ok Sara."

"I know…This might sound weird, but I feel it gone. I have had this feeling that I was missing something since I woke up."

"It's not weird, I am sure that your body can tell something is different." Grissom said finally taking a seat next to her.

"I just want to go home with you." Sara said turning her head to look at him sitting. Grissom could see the waves of exhaustion running over her.

"I know and you will. Just rest. I will be here when you wake up and we will talk more." Sara nodded at him before closing her eyes.

Brass walked out of interrogation feeling like a million bucks. They had it. A tape of confession and more. He left the door open to allow the officers to escort Norma Meza to a holding cell. He turned to watch the people pile out of the viewing room.

"I'll go see if the evidence is were he left it." Warrick said.

"I will go with you." Greg said following him.

"I meet you guys at the lab when you return. I'm going to pull the old evidence." Nick said taking the bagged tape recorder as Brass handed it to him.

Brass turned to Catherine who looked at him with a nod.

"We got him." Catherine said.


	5. Chapter 5

Falling Down

Falling Down

Chapter 5

Catherine waited silently in the break room with Brass. Greg and Warrick were in DNA, while Nick was in trace, processing the evidence that Michael took from Sara and the evidence Michael Deveron left including bloodied clothes and a knife. If everything came back as they had concluded it should, Michael Deveron would be going away for a long time.

"Done! We got him." Warrick announced coming into the break room first followed by Greg and then Nick. Both Catherine and Brass stood at the news.

"What came back?" Catherine asked as Warrick handed her a folder.

"Blood evidence on knife came back to Amy Carter, John Carter, Dawn Deveron, Samuel Deveron, and Sara Sidle." Catherine read.

"We can tie Michael to the knife by the tape and his clothes that had Blood from two of the five victims, but we can also tie John Carter to the knife." Greg said handing his folder over to Catherine. Brass was standing next to her reading over her shoulder.

"The knife that has his blood on it?" Brass asked.

"Yeah his prints are on the handle and according to the liver temps compared to the other victims, he died at least an hour later." Greg concluded.

"That doesn't make any sense…. Nick what do you have?" Catherine asked trying to piece together the evidence.

"The blood from Sara's knuckles matches Michael Deveron; Archie transcribed the tape, there was something at the end." Nick said flipping through several papers.

"What?" Brass asked.

"Towards the end it cuts out but it picks back up several seconds later, he said it sounds like someone tried to recorder something over another." Nick said looking around the group.

"Is it more evidence about Michael Deveron?" Catherine asked.

"No, it's a conversation between John Carter and Norma Meza, the summary of it is that Michael Deveron wasn't the only one who wanted Amy Carter and her kids dead. John Carter was off work and needed the money, he says in the tape that his wife was becoming a liability and he didn't want the kids…" Nick said looking down at the transcript.

"He was going to kill his wife and her kids." Warrick said shaking his head.

"So either way Amy and her kids were going to die." Greg said in realization.

Silence filled the room in the final outline of events.

"I will call patrol have them pick up Michael Deveron." Brass said pulling out his cell and stepping out into the hall.

"Good work guys." Catherine commended them.

"Yeah you too Cath." Nick followed

"This case is done. I will go file the report to the sheriff and let Grissom know what we found. I am sure that he will be happy that we got enough to hold Michael Deveron." Catherine said reaching a hand out to take the transcript from Nick.

"There is still something that I don't understand. Why did Michael Deveron want to kill his ex and kids?" Greg asked.

"We got the who the why doesn't matter remember." Nick said quoting Grissom.

"Yeah I am wondering the same thing. He stood to gain nothing. And why involve the same lawyer?" Warrick asked.

"Cause she was sleeping with both of them. She held the only evidence that would of convicted both of them." Catherine said putting everything together.

"She made it sound like a race. Who ever killed them first would get the money. Michael got the kids money and John got the wife's. So they both kill the family and when it's over Michael kills John." Warrick said in disappointment.

"But Norma Meza gave us the evidence that got us our bad guy." Greg said.

"I am still trying to decided if that makes her a good person or not." Brass said from the door.

"Patrol pick him up?" Catherine asked

"Yeah, he told the officers that now he wants to talk. Says that the lawyer made him do it." Brass said.

"It's going to become a he said/she said." Nick exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter. Evidence proves who did it." Warrick sounded defeated.

"You guys should go get some rest." Catherine said again. This time they slowly piled out of the room.

"I am going to give the findings to the sheriff and then head up to the hospital. You are welcome to join me." She said to Brass.

"I am going to have to take a rain check. I am going to go home and get some sleep." Brass said laying a hand on her shoulder in support.

"Alright. I will see you later." She said to him receiving a nod in return as he walked out.

Catherine let out a sigh. The days finally catching up. The criminals were going to jail. Everyone came out more or less enacted… but alive. The case was difficult. A man with no fingerprints. A lawyer giving the same deadly advice. She's going to try to get off by saying that it was just that advice. She never made them do it. From what Warrick and Nick said about the woman, she might as well have. Catherine knew the type. Seductive and manipulative. She controlled them and threw them away. Why? Just because she probably could. Now an innocent woman and her two kids are dead and Sara is laid up in the hospital.

"There's no place like Vegas." Catherine said aloud to no one.

-One Week Later-

"Grissom you don't have to follow me everywhere." Sara said entering the kitchen slowly. Her arm held protectively over her wounded side. They were staying at her place in case the guys came over for a visit. Grissom hid in the bedroom a couple of times so they wouldn't think anything.

"I am just making sure that I am here if you need anything." Grissom countered.

"Well you better make yourself scarce because the guys are going to be here in a couple of minutes for dinner and a movie." Sara said getting some plates down. The guys were bringing pizza. She knew that it would look suspicious if Grissom was caught here at her place for the fourth time this week.

"How about if I leave for half and hour and just show up later. Pretend that I just came here to check on you. That way you can invite me to stay and I won't have to hide in your bedroom for several hours waiting for them to leave?" Grissom said reaching over her to grab the plates she was having trouble with. She turned and glared at him.

She was now effectively pinned between him and the countertop. Not that she minded at all.

"See you can't even get plates down by yourself." Grissom said joking as he reached a hand up to cup her cheek. She smiled at him before leaning in, her lips meeting his.

Just a Grissom was moving a hand up her shirt when the doorbell rang. Grissom touched her forehead with his and laughed as he caught his breath.

"Tomorrow no visitors just you and me dinner and breakfast in bed, ok?" Grissom said not wanting to let her go."

"OK." She relied quietly kissing him again. The doorbell rang again.

"You arrived here 10 minutes ago, ok?" Sara said breaking off their kiss.. Grissom smiled at her lie and nodded. She moved from the counter. But kept her hand on his shoulder. She leaned up and kissed him. Before he could react, she moved to open the door.

"Hey guys come on in."

FIN

So this was the end. Let me know what you think… Thanks to everyone who reviewed. A very special thanks goes to my beta Viki. Thank you!!


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